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NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 6 has a story from “The Broken Flute” by Sharada Dwivedi. The story “Expert Detectives” revolves around Nishad, Maya, and Mr Nath. Further, the chapter includes a poem “Mystery of the Talking Fan” by Maude Rubin. In these notes, we will explore word meanings relevant to the story and the summary of the poem. Also, you will find answers to writing questions following the prose and the poetry. All the solutions are per the latest CBSE curriculum. Let us begin!!
Download NCERT Solutions Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 6 Important Questions and Answers PDF
Table of Contents
Access Notes of all Chapters of Class 7 English ‘Honeycomb’ here:
NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 6: Expert Detectives
The story in NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 6 is taken from the book “The Broken Flute” by Sharada Dwivedi. It is a story about two siblings who were suspicious of one of their mother’s patients. The siblings eventually go on to find that the patient lives alone and has only one visitor on Sundays. As the story evolves we discover different aspects of the siblings Nishad and Maya and the patient Mr Nath. You must read the story to learn more about these characters.
Thus, to help you understand the story, we have enlisted all important words and phrases and their meanings in the prose. Also, we have answered writing questions following “Expert Detectives”.
Important Words and Phrases and Their Meanings
Let us begin with the meanings of certain words and phrases in the story.
- Stashed away: Hidden away
- Following: To come after
- Gaunt: Skinny or sick appearing
- Peek: To look secretively
- Tips well: Offers a generous tip in the form of money. It is offered in return for services.
- Sort out: To arrange or organise something systematically
- Crook: Lawbreaker or criminal
- By appointment to: Someone who a person in authority officially chooses.
- Alias: Pseudonym or a substitute name
- Accomplice: An accessory to a crime
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Download NCERT Solutions Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 6 Important Questions and Answers PDF
Download NCERT Solutions of all Chapters of Class 7 English ‘Honeycomb’ here:
NCERT Solutions Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 6 Prose: Expert Detectives
Now, let us dive into NCERT solutions to questions in the Comprehensive Check, Working with the Text, Working with Language, and Writing sections in the Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 6.
Comprehension Check
Ques 1. What did Nishad give Mr Nath? Why?
Ans: Nishad gave Mr Nath a chocolate bar because he noticed that Mr Nath looked very thin like he hadn’t had enough to eat. Nishad wanted to help him, so he gave him the chocolate to make sure he wasn’t hungry.
Ques 2. What is “strange” about Mr Nath’s Sundays?
Ans: The strange thing about Mr Nath’s Sundays is that each Sunday a specific person would visit him and both of them would have lunch together.
Ques 3. Why did Nishad and Maya get a holiday?
Ans: Nishad and Maya got a holiday due to the bad weather. There was heavy downpour and the city streets were flooded with rainwater.
Working with the Text
Ques 1. What does Nishad find out about Mr Nath from Ramesh? Arrange the information as suggested below.
- What he eats
- When he eats
- What he drinks, and when
- How he pays
Ans: Nishand finds out the following information about Mr Nath from Ramesh:
- He is not very fussy about what he eats. His diet includes a vegetable, two chapattis, and dal.
- He eats in the morning and evening.
- He drinks two cups of tea, one in the afternoon and one in the morning.
- He pays in cash and often tips Ramesh for his service.
Ques 2. Why does Maya think Mr Nath is a crook? Who does she say the Sunday visitor is?
Ans: Maya believes that Mr Nath might be a bad person because he doesn’t have any friends even though he has been in the area for over a year. She also noticed that he does not talk to anyone. In addition, she also observed that no one ever comes to visit him except for one person who only comes on Sundays.
Maya thinks that this Sunday’s visitor might be working with Mr Nath in some kind of illegal activity. She believes they meet on Sundays to exchange money, which she suspects is their share of ill-gotten gains from their activities.
Ques 3. Does Nishad agree with Maya about Mr Nath? How does he feel about him?
Ans: No, Nishad does not agree with Mr Nath. He believes that Mr. Nath is a lonely and poor individual who is experiencing hunger and hardship. Nishad sees Mr Nath as a kind-hearted person who, despite having limited resources for himself, still manages to give tips to Ramesh. Nishad believes that Mr. Nath is a compassionate person.
Working with Language
Ques 1. The word “tip” has only three letters but many meanings. Match the word with its meanings below.
| (i) finger tips | (a) be about to say something |
| (ii) the tip of your nose | (b) make the boat overturn |
| (iii) tip the water out of the bucket | (c)the ends of one’s fingers |
| (iv) have something on the tip of your tongue | (d) give a rupee to him, to thank him |
| (v) tip the boat owner | (e) empty a bucket by tilting it |
| (vi) tip him a rupee | (f) the pointed end of your nose |
| (vii) the tip of the bat | (g) if you take this advice |
| (viii) the police were tipped off | (h) the bat lightly touched the ball |
| (ix) if you take my tip | (i) the end of the bat |
| (x) the bat tipped the ball | (j) the police were told or warned |
Ans:
| (i) finger tips | (c)the ends of one’s fingers |
| (ii) the tip of your nose | (f) the pointed end of your nose |
| (iii) tip the water out of the bucket | (e) empty a bucket by tilting it |
| (iv) have something on the tip of your tongue | (a) be about to say something |
| (v) tip the boat owner | (b) make the boat overturn |
| (vi) tip him a rupee | (d) give a rupee to him, to thank him |
| (vii) the tip of the bat | (i) the end of the bat |
| (viii) the police were tipped off | (j) the police were told or warned |
| (ix) if you take my tip | (g) if you take this advice |
| (x) the bat tipped the ball | (h) the bat lightly touched the ball |
Ques 2. The words helper, companion, partner and accomplice have very similar meanings, but each word is typically used in certain phrases. Can you fill in the blanks below with the most commonly used words? A dictionary may help you.
(i) Business_____________
(ii) My_______________ on the journey.
(iii) I’m mother’s little_______________.
(iv) A faithful____________ such as a dog.
(v) The thief’s_____________.
(vi) Find a good_______________.
(vii) Tennis/golf/bridge____________
(viii) His______________ in his criminal activities.
Ans:
(i) partner
(ii) companion
(iii) helper
(iv) companion
(v) accomplice
(vi) partner
(vii) partner
(viii) accomplice
Ques 3. Now let us look at the uses of the word “break”. Match the word with its meanings below. Try to find at least three other ways in which to use the word.
| (i) The storm broke | (a) could not speak; was too sad to speak |
| (ii) Daybreak | (b) this kind of weather ended |
| (iii) His voice is beginning to break | (c) it began or burst into activity |
| (iv) His voice broke and she cried | (d) the beginning of daylight |
| (v) The heat wave broke | (e) changing as he grows up |
| (vi) Broke the bad news | (f) end it by making the workers submit |
| (vii) Break a strike | (g) gently told someone the bad news |
Ans:
| (i) The storm broke | (c) it began or burst into activity |
| (ii) Daybreak | (d) the beginning of daylight |
| (iii) His voice is beginning to break | (e) changing as he grows up |
| (iv) His voice broke and she cried | (a) could not speak; was too sad to speak |
| (v) The heat wave broke | (b) this kind of weather ended |
| (vi) Broke the bad news | (g) gently told someone the bad news |
| (vii) Break a strike | (f) end it by making the workers submit |
Writing
Ques 1. Who do you think Mr Nath is? Write a paragraph or two about him.
Ans: I believe that Mr Nath is likely just an ordinary person who may not be eating well and could be introverted, which would explain his lack of friends and visitors. It is possible that he prefers solitude and values his own company over having many social interactions.
His lean appearance may be due to his irregular eating habits, and he may have a specific diet that consists of two chapattis, dal, and a vegetable. I think he has a medical condition because he often consults Nishad’s mother, who is a doctor. This could be another reason for his solitary lifestyle.
The scars on his face, which might lead people to think he is a crook, could indeed be from an accident rather than any criminal involvement. The Sunday visitor might be a family member or someone who cares for Mr Nath’s well-being and ensures that he is doing okay.
Ques 2. What else do you think Nishad and Maya will find out about him? How? Will they ever be friends? Think about these questions and write a paragraph or two to continue the story.
Ans: I believe that Nishad and Maya might eventually discover that Mr Nath is indeed a good person who is introverted and works from home due to health issues. This explains his preference for solitude.
Nishad, who initially showed kindness and concern for Mr. Nath, may develop a friendship with him. Besides, Maya might come to regret her initial doubts about him being a criminal. This scenario suggests the potential for personal growth and understanding, where initial misunderstandings can give way to genuine friendships and a more compassionate view of others.
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Access Summary of all Poems of Class 7 English ‘Honeycomb’ here:
NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 6 Poem: Mystery of the Talking Fan
Further, we will walk you through the summary of the poem in Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 6. Also, we have answered writing questions under the “Working with the Poem” section. Let’s proceed!!
Summary of Poem: Mystery of the Talking Fan
The poem “Mystery of the Talking Fan” by Maude Rubin is about a person who has a noisy electric fan. The fan made a lot of noise, and the person could not understand what it was trying to say. But one day, someone oiled the fan’s motor to make it run quietly, and the fan’s “talking” stopped. The poem is about how the mystery of the noisy fan was solved when it was made to run quietly.
Are you interested in poetry? Then read the following:
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Download NCERT Solutions Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 6 Important Questions and Answers PDF
Download NCERT Solutions of all Poems of Class 7 English ‘Honeycomb’ here:
NCERT Solutions Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 6 Poem: Mystery of the Talking Fan
In this section, we will explore answers to questions following the Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 6 poetry “Mystery of the Talking Fan”.
Working with the Poem
Ques 1. Fans don’t talk, but it is possible to imagine that they do. What is it, then, that sounds like the fan’s chatter?
Ans: The sound that the fan’s motor makes when it has less oil can be described as similar to the fan’s chatter.
Ques 2. Complete the following sentences.
(i) The chatter is electrical because________________________________________________.
(ii) It is mysterious because______________________________________________________.
Ans:
(i) The chatter is electrical because the noise is being produced by the electrical motor of the fan.
(ii) It is mysterious because we cannot understand what the fan is speaking.
Ques 3. What do you think the talking fan was demanding?
Ans: The talking fan wanted some oil. It was trying to get the people at home to notice and put oil in its parts. When it got the oil it needed, it stopped making noise and became quiet.
Ques 4. How does an electric fan manage to throw so much air when it is switched on?
Ans: When we turn on an electric fan, it blows air because it has a special motor inside that spins three blades, making them go around and around at a certain speed. This spinning creates a breeze we feel from the fan.
Also Read: Personification in Poetic Device: Definition and Examples
Get NCERT Solutions and Notes of Class 7 English ‘An Alien Hand’ textbook here:
| Chapter 1: The Tiny Teacher |
| Chapter 2: Bringing Up Kari |
| Chapter 3: Golu Grows a Nose |
| Chapter 4: Chandni |
| Chapter 5: The Bear Story |
| Chapter 6: A Tiger in the House |
| Chapter 7: An Alien Hand |
FAQs
Ans: This story is from the book “The Broken Flute”.
Ans: This book is authored by Sharada Dwivedi.
Ans: The poem is written by Maude Rubin.
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